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QUEEN CATHERINE IS ACCUSED OF ADULTERY — When King Henry II accuses Queen Catherine of treason and adultery, she sets out to save her life by exposing Bash's dark past. Mary and Bash go on a quest to expose an even more deadly secret from Catherine's past. Meanwhile, Nostradamus reveals the truth about the castle ghost, Clarissa, which shocks everyone. Lola, Kenna and Greer also appear.

The episode opens with Mary and two servants getting ready to leave the castle with an infant that was born at the castle with the mark of the pagans on its foot; Mary and Bash are preparing the child for transport when Jean enters the chamber to say that King Henry has returned with Medici’s.

Meanwhile Queen Catherine is still being held prisoner in the castle tower, though she is still in her beautiful red gown, her cell is utterly dismal, her hair is a mess, and she has some kind of oatmeal which she can barely eat. The poor Queen is just miserable. Her cousins Pierto and Francesca arrive to her cell to inform her that Henry has accused her of adultery which is a treasonable offence punishable by death if she is convicted. The cousins tell her that their family has put their considerable weight on the Vatican to stop the annulment of her marriage to Henry, and the Pope has refused to see him. Catherine protests that Henry has no reason to accuse her of anything of the sort. As a guard brings in a chopping block the cousins assure Catherine that they are there to help her prepare her defense, and tell her that she may leave the tower under guard to prepare her defense. Catherine thinks this accusation is just preposterous and demands to know just who she is accused of cheating with.

Immediately we see Nostradamus being led into a cell chained and being locked in. Then in the throne room we see Kenna seated before the King and Viscount Richard de la Croix; they are talking about how if Kenna says that she saw Catherine with another man; then Henry will find her a suitable match for a husband. Catherine soon enters and sends Kenna out of the room stating that she has killed her enough for one day, and she demands the guards to leave her alone to conduct her defense in private. The Queen tells Henry that he has no reason to do this and that the only reason he wants to kill her is all for England: wedding Mary to Bash, and having them take the throne of England. Richard admits that he called the Queen an "Italian Mule"; Henry laughs and comments that she has made many enemies at court.

In another part of the castle Catherine enters to bows and cheers from the servants and workers, and she is seen talking with a man named Bernard who tells her that tributes made to her in the arts have been taken back for fear of offending Henry. She then declares that nothing will be canceled as the arts depend on her money it will live as long as she does and she intends that to be a very long time. Charlotte one of Catherine’s ladies in waiting reports that she, Danielle, and Janet have been watching Bash and Mary as they were ordered; Catherine declares that if Bash is out of the picture then there will be no need to kill her as their sons will be back in the line of succession. Charlotte says that Bash and Mary have been in the stables quite often lately.

In the stable Agnes the wet nurse is preparing to leave with the baby when Catherine enters just as Mary is telling her to leave, and goes to greet Catherine who says that she wanted to go for a ride to clear her head; however Mary notices that she is not wearing her riding habit, and then Catherine sees Agnes with the adorable baby girl and inquires if it is her grandchild, but Mary says that the baby was a orphan found on the castle steps. Catherine then tells Mary that the baby is a pagan child and what will happen if it’s discovered that that child may belong to Bash, and also that rumors are deadly for someone in Bash’s place. Mary counters that rumors are also deadly for a Queen; they then get into an exchange talking about how: if Henry can cut off her head based on rumors he made up what will happen to Bash with actual evidence; Mary could lose the alliance and at worst she could wind up on a stake beside him. Catherine admits that she is threatening Mary who says that it won’t be easy for the Queen to take down her and Bash when she is without her head. So it’s going to be a race to see who takes down who first. Mary then says that when the axe falls on Catherine’s neck she will be there with Bash the next King of France.

The next day down in the dungeons Catherine is seen bringing water to Nostradamus who says that he won’t betray her by saying that they had an affair; and they talk about Bash and his involvement with the pagans. Henry soon arrives and sees them together calling them "adulterous lovers" Catherine tells him that this whole situation is not funny at all, and she leaves. She is then seen on the lawn walking with Agnes’ daughter trying to find out the location of the baby and discovers that they have gone to the convent of St. Claire. Meanwhile back at the castle Bash tells Mary that Catherine’s concerns are well placed and that getting married could put them both in danger; then Greer enters and reports that Catherine knows where Agnes lives, and Bash and Mary set off to beat the Medici’s.

Queen Catherine is see pacing her chambers alone and obviously worried for her life; she goes over to her table and picks up a small ceramic jar. Suddenly she hears a voice say that she and Nostradamus will get what they deserve; she immediately jerks her head up, turns around and sees the castle ghost in the shadows directly behind her. Catherine asks the ghost why it’s there and tells it to come into the light and be seen, she touches the arm and realizes that the “castle ghost” is actually human.

In the dungeons the next day Nostradamus hears his door being opened and sees a very angry Queen Catherine come in his cell; he immediately says that he hasn't agreed to King Henry’s deal and won’t betray her. Catherine confronts Nostradamus believing that he has already betrayed her, and that she knows that this “ghost” is really a human, has a grudge against him and her apparently, and that she touched her bony arm. Believing that he knew all about this "castle ghost" beforehand and never told her the truth she demands for him to spill what he knows; and he reveals that the “Castle ghost” has a name: Clarissa, and that she has a bond with Mary. Nostradamus confesses that he feels responsible for her as she was left with his father after she was given to him by her mother to remove her birthmark on her face which failed and left the child horribly disfigured.

Queen Catherine is obviously very troubled by what she is hearing as if she is remembering something; she finally inquires about the mother, and Nostradamus tells her that his father told the mother that her baby had died of natural causes, and that he was told to leave her out to die he disobeyed and took her to a family in village where Clarissa nearly beat a boy to death for making fun of her. Queen Catherine is becoming increasingly upset and troubled and demands to know why he brought her to live in the castle shadows he tells her that the shadows are the only life she knows.

In Henry’s chambers the King is doing some work when Catherine enters his room and says that tomorrow is a big day for her. He tells her that he gave her a choice and she refused to take his advice, so now his hands are tied. she says that a select lusty few can tie his hands. Henry tells her that he feels better about killing her; Catherine asks him "Is this really the best you can do Henry? Adultery with the Court Seer?"

Henry and Catherine then start a discussion about their marriage that quickly becomes heavy, deep, and quite heated: that she is incapable of love, that they came to love each other when they were first married, how Henry pushed her away and openly had his affair with Diane, how he feels that she used him as a stud horse to have children, she cuts him off saying that she was saving her life as they were married 10 years before Francis was born, and because many Queens had been tossed aside or beheaded for not providing an heir. The Queen wanted him to perform with quack medicines and other unpleasant remedies, she believed that he would have killed her or cast her off due to her difficulty conceiving. Henry cuts her off by shouting that he would have done no such thing as he was in love with her, and how could she not have trusted him? She replies "Trust you? You're killing me now!". Henry then tells his Queen that they are not the same people they were and maybe he had something to do with that. By now the tension between them has calmed into love & romantic feelings that are coming back to them...almost as if they are remembering why they fell in love in the first place. Then she admits that she does not & has never trusted easily and was taught that love was a delusion and that people only love what you can give them. The attraction now between them is undeniable, as the couple literally gets in each other’s faces and she admits that the naïve children they once were are dead now, and that they killed them. Henry tells her to take down her hair so he can look at her, Catherine takes her hair down and they look lovingly into each other’s eyes, Henry gently strokes her face then ends that discussion with a very passionate kiss.

In the village where Agnes lives Bash and Mary arrive and tell her men are looking for the baby, suddenly there’s banging on the door and Bash tells Agnes to hide them, because if the men find them and the baby everyone in the house will die including Mary.

Back at the castle in Henry’s chambers he’s lying in bed; footsteps are heard and it's Catherine fixing her dress and her hair; her side of the bed is a mess, and it’s quite obvious they have just slept together, she steps up to the bed smiles and kisses her husband on his cheek as both of them close their eyes; Henry takes her chin in his hands and tells her that he doesn't want to do this to her she tells him then don’t.

Back at Agnes’ house she opens the door and lets the guards in and they are searching for the baby, Bash and Mary are hiding in the locked storage closet, guards search the house and one man stabs Bash and he kicks over a big sack of grain, they are about to leave when they hear a baby cry and one guard comes out with the baby and they leave.

Back at the castle fresh from making love with her husband, Catherine is seen entering a room and Richard is there. He tells her that the witnesses and inquiries have been canceled as Henry has had misgivings about killing her and needs time to think, and they both run into each other’s arms and Richard asks her how she can convince "the devil" she’s married to that she loves him. Catherine admits that she does indeed love Henry very much, but will always care for Richard as no man has cared for her like him.

Back at Agnes’ house she is telling Mary and Bash the truth about Henry and Catherine’s marriage: how it took years for her to get pregnant, and how she felt rejected by the King. Agnes then tells that Catherine sought comfort elsewhere and while she knew his name not she tells about the notes, letters etc, how she got pregnant by her lover, and how scared she was because the father was not Henry.

Bash, Mary, Agnes, Henry, and Richard are in Henry’s chambers questioning Agnes to get what she knows about Catherine’s affair. In the throne room Richard is thrown before Henry who confronts him for sleeping with his wife, and wants an apology. Richard is dragged away and tells Catherine he’s sorry he couldn’t save her. The Queen tries one last effort and reveals that Bash is a pagan, pulls a glass orb that she took from Diane’s room and smashes it on the floor to reveal a pagan bracelet. Henry asks the nearest guard if Catherine is telling the truth the guard says that she is; suddenly Henry pulls a sword and kills the guard by slicing his throat and splashing blood in Catherine’s face. Henry then reveals that he already knew that Diane was a pagan as she shared that with him early in their affair.

Catherine is then led back to the tower having been convicted of adultery. Francesca and Pierto enter her cell and tell her that she has disgraced their family by losing her defense; then Francesca gives her a small case in which there is a poison pellet, she says that it’s a kinder death than the axe and they wish her safe voyage as they leave. Bash swears to protect Mary, Catherine is seen in her chambers getting dressed, putting on her crown etc. while Mary gets ready for her bath; Catherine enters the room, drops the poison in the pool and puts a knife to Mary’s throat telling her that they both must die and that her children will be safe; Mary insists that she means Catherine’s children no harm, and she tells her that her good intentions no longer matter, and that she can restore her children to the throne make sure Mary can’t kill Francis and that she will never be Queen.

The episode ends as Catherine falls to the floor, and Mary falls under her bath water, when Clarissa comes in first and saves Catherine’s life; then Bash walks in and pulls Mary from the water just in time. Mary tells him that Catherine tried to kill them both, and Bash orders her taken away and chained up.